MSI reveals new Steam Deck rival with gigantic battery
DexertoMSI already has a successor to the MSI Claw on its way, launching with an 80 Whr battery and powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake CPU.
Just about every big name in tech is showing off their latest and greatest gadgets with Computex 2024 finally in full swing. It should come as no surprise that MSI is one of those names, having already shown off a range of new motherboards and AI-powered laptops.
MSI has also just announced a brand new version of its MSI Claw handheld, the MSI 8 AI+. Only four months since the original MSI handheld entered the already highly saturated PC gaming handheld market, the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ is set to be powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake CPU.
While MSI hasn’t taken to social media to sing the new MSI Claw’s praises just yet, the upcoming handheld is on full display on the Computex 2024 tradeshow floor.
X/Twitter user @littlebeansinfo shared an image of the brand-new MSI Claw 8 AI+ which shows off a similar form factor to its predecessor. Where the Claw 8 AI+ differs from the previous model is with its brand-new Intel Lunar Lake CPU.
Unlike the Intel Core Ultra 7 of the MSI Claw, the Xe2 architecture of the Lunar Lake CPU could significantly improve the performance of the Claw 8 AI+. This will also mark the first instance of a Windows-based handheld being powered by the new Intel Core Ultra processors.
The new CPU isn’t the only significant change with the upcoming Claw 8 AI+ handheld. Like the recently announced Asus ROG Ally X, the Claw 8 AI+ will come with an 80 Wh battery, a noticeable step up from the 53 Whr battery from the previous model. It’ll also sport a larger 8-inch display, similar to that of the Steam Deck OLED.
While the display may be bigger, MSI officially told The Verge that the new screen will feature the same smooth 120Hz refresh rate as the previous MSI Claw.
The new Claw 8 AI+ will also benefit from an added USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support and hall effect sticks, to prevent any deadly stick drift woes.
MSI hasn’t officially announced when we can expect to get our hands on the new Claw 8 AI+. Nor have they shared if the ‘AI’ namesake is purely a buzzword, or if there’s some extra meaning behind it.
With Computex 2024 still ongoing, it’s likely MSI won’t wait long to share a closer look at the upcoming handheld.